Steve Hackett - The Sleeping Sea (Rob Martino,Chapman Stick)

[bradmacaboy]

how long did it take you to learn? Did you play the guitar beforehand? Thanks & great vid!

[rpmartino]

@bradmacaboy I did play some piano, bass and guitar before focusing on Stick, which has now been my primary instrument since 2004. thanks...

[00sven00sven00]

Are those black and white strips on the neck actual frets or just fret markers?

[rpmartino]

@00sven00sven00 they are just markers.  I originally had black ones but then they got harder to see as the padauk wood darkened so I added white fretboard tape

[materialreal2012]

hey rob, i've seen a good majority of your videos and i'd have to say you are definitely one of the better stick players out there. and because you definitely have had a great deal of experience on this instrument, i wanted to ask you how the "stickup" pickup differs from the "quad" pickup you use because i'm actually considering getting a chapman stick myself

[rpmartino]

@materialreal2012 thanks... the stickup is maybe more "acoustic" sounding and the sort of classic Stick sound you hear on all the recordings before the 90s, the PASV-4 is a bit more electric/Strat sounding I think and lends itself well to effects processing (but I still use it as a fairly minimal "no effects" tone). The PASV-4 also has more tone options (pickup combinations and filters)

[materialreal2012]

what kind of pickups are in your 12 string? love the tone you got

[rpmartino]

@materialreal2012 thanks I use the PASV-4 (Villex) pickups

[1978Musician1978]

Awesome!

[SlavonicDances]

oh So tender .. just there... like gentle breeze .... thank you, bravo! I write lyrics, read them..

ivana nagyova (FB)

[paulomtm100]

amazing!

[santinga]

I want your music in Final Fantasy XIV

hahaha

[ClassicalGuitar1111]

Excellent!

[unplumbedgibbon]

Aw DUDE... you play Steve Hackett and Jethro Tull on the stick... I'm already a massive fan!

[neftalilopez75]

Awesome expression on stick,congratulations man,light and blessings from Mexico!!!

[MAGUNN00]

That is my new favorite behind One Cloud. Your fingers are magic man...

[aba0302]

so filled with emotion. incredible.. i love it.

[recyclingismylife]

incroyable! i can only imagine the amount of time that took to prepare. you did wondefully sir. thanks!

[ariefsesar14]

the sound of heaven !! like it much ..

regards !

[fuzzyslippuh]

I"m sure you get this one alot, but how long have you been studying music and how long have you been playing the chapman stick?

[rpmartino]

check out the FAQ on my website, basically I've been focusing on the Stick as my primary instrument about 5 years and studying music to some degree most my life. :-)

[dahmer09]

man dude bro face that was so melodic. the stick has such a great tone and 90% of that tone comes from your fingers GREAT FUCKING JOB!

[hflat1]

@dahmer09 0% of that tone comes from your fingers. It comes from Amp, Effects, Pickup, Strings, Wood. In that order ;)

I know what you mean though, you can select what part of the instruments tone you get via placement of fingers and treatment of the strings once you've hammered, etc etc.

[dahmer09]

@hflat1 weird... i dont remember posting that lol. well what i said only really applies to guitar. you can have amazing technique and modelling but if your fingers are stupid and you dont have the right touch, like adding vibrato and the like, you wont like the sound you get

[cadenmccann2]

sounds great on the stick!!! 100*

[5stringgod]

i'm from greece and i can't phone...it's been a long time since my last e-mail and they haven't answered me yet...i don't know what else to do... :(

[5stringgod]

this is a 12-string and the fucking company is not interested in spread this instrument in other countries...fuck they didn't answer to my e-mails...assholes

[rpmartino]

they seem to get overwhelmed with email sometimes- if possible it's better to call, they are always helpful on the phone.

[Muzikman127]

anybody who can count tell me whether this is a 10 or a 12?

[rpmartino]

It's 12

[Muzikman127]

thanks

[RICKOBEAR]

OMG!!!!! will somebody pick my jaw up off the floor for me????

[Austenbass]

absolutely mesmerizing. you are extremely talented, i've watched all your stuff

[vzsozs]

what the hell does mesmerizing mean? xDD

[Austenbass]

1. to hypnotize.

2. to spellbind; fascinate.

3. to compel by fascination.

[Austenbass]

did someone use words that are too big for you?

[TOMisNOTfunny]

Pardon?

[bassfury82]

Amen.

[LeChuckITA]

AWESOME... Harmonics... no effects... incredible...

[Guitargowd]

1:36 harmonics???woah

[drkam6]

Excellent playing - even the chords sound terrific, like proper triads in rasgueados... unreal!

[damuddykip]

Man too bad these things are so expensive. But then again even if I did have the money I probably wouldn't be able to play it very well. Excellent playing 5/5

[leftyguitarjoe]

You can get one built by Kevin Siebold over at Krappy Guitars for fairly cheap. Dont let the name Krappy fool you. His instruments are awesome.

[damuddykip]

Damn slick business types tricking me with words like Krappy. Erg.

Thanks for the tip by the way. Next time I come across some money I might look into one of these.

[leftyguitarjoe]

I have a Krappy, so I know first hand the quality.

He'll charge you $800 for a 12 string :D

[damuddykip]

Wow...Thats pretty good. I was gunna buy a new bass this summer but at that price.

[Zilello]

Bravo!

[Gzotor]

c'est incroyablement propre...

[chillVibes]

what the hell are u playing? its bad ass

[Halo1Buff]

That would be a Chapman Stick, a stringed instrument played by taping on the strings. And yes, they are cool.

[walterock]

bravo! good!

[TheMusicEclectic]

That was awesome - and very well arranged. I have listened to it many times and marveled at your ability. Thanks for posting your videos - "One Cloud" inspired me to get a tap instrument - perhaps one day I will be able to play as well as you.

[rpmartino]

Cool, glad you liked it- I've had a link to your profile in the info above since posting it. I discovered this and Within This Wood because of your videos, and instantly loved them. It's definitely the trickiest piece I've tried to learn!

[gregoryb60]

yes rob, you can improve it by playing it forever!!!

[NJT1000]

Improve the performance? Not sure if you could Rob, to my ears it was just exquisite. Any aspect you're not happy with would seem to be details too minor for me to notice! Hope Mr. Hackett gets to see this.

[Tweekerhead]

Dude ...you are ready to jump of the Earth.

[nailosity]

Dude, I am way impressed. I agree with sadfissad - Harmonics??? I couldn't believe it. Really great sound, like a clavichord or harpsichord. Thanks for posting!

[TheFolksinger]

Really nicely done, and a lovely melody. Five stars!

[sadfissad]

how the F!@# did you do the harmonics on that thing...

that was crazy..

[rpmartino]

thanks for noticing :-)

you can hold a string or two down on a lower fret with one hand and tap quickly on top of a fret with the other hand to get different harmonics.

[ochocinco852307]

nice

[ochocinco852307]

nice

[0Fingolfin0]

superb! don't stop posting! :D it is great!!!

[recuerdo000]

uff¡¡. nunca había visto como se toca el stick

Había visto a Stanley Jordan y otros con dos guitarras pero esto es increíble. No sé por qué no hay más gente tocando así... realmente la guitarra y el bajo salen sobrando, ya están de más... definitivamente¡¡

se esucha genial¡¡

me encantó, en verdad¡

es maravilloso¡

[caballerodecydonia]

you are great rob..!!

[jburger360]

Oh my god, this is absolutely amazing, stellar job.

[styleomatic]

great stuff man, pat yourself on the back.

[freddh2]

Hi Rob,

I am once again impressed by the quality of your music. Trying a classical piece on the stick was a challenge, but you made it and you are, like always, absolutely stunning my friend.

This is excellent work and a nice way to re-invent traditional classical music.

I think for a rough try for a youtube vid, this was pretty worked out. I am definitely your fan, mate.

Peace

-Fred.

[mufasamusic]

sounds great. I play 8 string guitar and one of the most difficult things for me is remembering to breath. Try and think like a horn player in that you inhale, as you exhale, play your line/idea as you breath out. It helps with phrasing. If you breath more smoothly and relaxed your playing will mirror that. Great performance.

[AdioEmerica]

Ronald Jenkees favorited it, and that's what got me here. Amazing video man. 5 star

[hidarimae00]

wow

that instrument has a very unique sound it's pretty cool

[rabbitshirt]

More polish? Forget it, man. You are the bee's knees.

[METALFAN254]

i play guitar, but i have never seen an instrument such as that before, can someone explain to me please what it is. it has such a great sound

[LordBrakensiek]

I believe it is a Chaptman Stick. And very nice video, man. Makes me want to learn the Chaptman Stick now.

[TheFolksinger]

Lovely rendition.Makes a beginner like me sit uup and take notice. Thanks again.

[shawnieyang]

very good! Keep it up! :)

[tophat665]

Really like those harmoiics you tossed in there. Unexepected, and yet inevitable. Sounded Yes-ish for a few seconds. Other than that, for a one take rough cut, that was awesome. 'Nother 10 or 12 runs through so that it's all there in your fingers as well as your head, and it will be perfect I am sure.

[ronaldjenkees]

smooooth! good job Rob!!

[giedosst]

Rob man you kick ass! An inspiring performance as always!

[stagline]

Absolutely Wonderful, Rob. But where is you head?

Show us the whole musician!

[asdfhuk]

excellent work man =)

[grandstick]

Hey Rob,

Enjoyable as always!

I will have to try out your Inv. 4ths tuning in October.

Paul

[ramuji0869]

Very nice, Rob. Very inspiring.

[razputin3]

excellant job Rob.I haven't tried classical on the touchboard yet.One day I'll get the nerve.You always amaze me,keep it up.Thanks

[SargasoSea]

Can you just have them make you one?

[kevindeane1]

hey Rob is it still hard as hell to purchase a stick?

[rpmartino]

Well, just calling them up and ordering isn't hard. :-) If you mean the wait time or finding a used one, try the stickist website, used ones periodically pop up there and tend to be cheaper than Ebay.

[kevindeane1]

yeah I know getting a fresh-spanking- brand new stick takes about a year or so to get one because they're custom made. I just figured there would some people or sources that wouldn't mind parting with theirs. By the way, I think you master more of a melodic and harmonic approach to playing stick than most other players. That's why I'm more drawn to your playing. You need to do an album!!

[JohnnyGTar]

Beautiful man.Very good feeling.Check out my stuff if you have time!Keep tapping!!!

[stick2truth]

Well done! For classical pieces you should stay more on the clean side. A little gate or church reverb. But I've found that tweeking the more acoustic sound carries well on songs such as this.

[cheeseismurder]

Amazing as usual. Would love to see some more of your original stuff.

[TheHardcore429]

wow that's great man! keep up the good work!